roaminghibernian

Reviews

Williamstown Mussels Fish & Chippery, Williamstown

Overall 3.8 1

3.8 Below Average

Quality 5 Ambience 5 Service 1 Value 4

Seeking a quick eat in Williamstown, my family paid this place a visit (it had been touted by the ferryboat captain, but, perhaps, we should have taken that as a warning).

It looked decent on the way in, and the menu had a nice range of fish and chip-type items. There were four of us and we ordered four dishes.

Three plates arrived, leaving my mother without food for a little while. She urged us to get on with the eating, since our food would otherwise go cold, but then after about ten minutes went to inquire about her missing scallops and salad. She was told that they had been placed on the plates already delivered to our table. Indeed, there were scallops accompanying our two standard fish and chip orders, and a salad accompanying a hamburger order. Three of the four scallops had been eaten.

She asked why on earth her order had been plated on other people's plates. The indignant counterperson asked how the line cook was supposed to know.

Here is a tidy answer to that deep question: it is the responsibility of the person fielding the order to distinguish items within a group order. It isn't very hard. Most restaurants do it without breaking a sweat and most that err have the integrity and intelligence to recognize and rectify their mistake. This place clearly lacks those qualities. It shouldn't fall to the customer to tell the establishment what a plate represents, but apparently one can't take any prior knowledge for granted at this place.

On top of it all, while the fish was Ok, the chips were mediocre at best. There are other restaurants along the Williamstown waterfront.

Apr 09, 2012

Thanh Long Vietnamese Restaurant, Surry Hills

Restaurants, Vietnamese, BYO

Overall 7.6 39

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 8 Service 8 Value 8

With its narrow front and modest decor, Thanh Long could easily be overlooked among its more glamorous neighbors on Crown Street. That would be a mistake. This humble family establishment serves flavorful Vietnamese food.

I was delighted with my choice: lightly breaded and fried calamari in a tamarind sauce. The sauce was sweet but light and applied modestly and the calamari were fried just right. This was, it might be noted, a dish not listed among the chef's specialties, but it was one of the most memorable I've had in a Vietnamese restaurant.

In a district with any number of flashier establishments, Thanh Long is a refreshing example of a restaurant that focuses on the essentials.

Oct 21, 2011

Chennai, Newtown

Restaurants, Malaysian, BYO, Licensed

Overall 5.6 12

7.3 Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 8 Service 5 Value 8

Chennai is off to a decent start, after opening in a prime location along King St. a few weeks ago. The owner is a friendly, engaging person and the food is generally quite good. I had a tasty laksa soup there at one point, and a savory mee goreng at another. The restaurant features a well-priced lunch menu that is highly competitive with other King St. mainstays (although at the present time, they are only open for lunch on Fridays, but perhaps may expand their service in the future).

The one hurdle this restaurant faces is getting the service right. It is clearly going through growing pains - facing the desirable problem of having more customers than it previously anticipated. One can sympathize, but this is a critical hurdle. I faced service issues both times I dined there, though they were less significant the second time.

My advice is a wholehearted recommendation: try this restaurant. Assume that the owner is continually working to improve the flow of dishes out of the kitchen and that whatever hiccups I experienced were transient problems, linked to the fact that this restaurant is both very new and already popular. Chennai promises to be a welcome fixture along King Street.

Oct 15, 2011

Kammadhenu, Newtown

Restaurants, Indian, Malaysian, Sri Lankan, Serves Takeaway

Overall 6.8 89

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 8 Service 10 Value 10

Kammadhenu is, from my experience thus far, the place to go for dosas in Sydney. The staff, though perhaps a bit undermanned, quickly bring delicious pancakes of prodigious size. What amazes me is how affordable the place is - most dosas are less than $10. There are a range of other curries, but given the relative scarcity of South Indian fare in Sydney I have yet to order anything other than a dosa. Whether for lunch or dinner, Kammadhenu offers tasty South Indian food at a remarkably low price.

Oct 15, 2011

Darbar Fine Indian Cuisine, Glebe

Restaurants, Indian, Fine Dining, Romantic and Intimate, BYO

Overall 6.9 245

9 Highly Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 10 Service 9 Value 8

Darbar makes for a very pleasant evening out. It has a very atypical Indian menu, one that features dishes that are either uncommon or altogether original. The mango lassi is particularly delicious, flavored with cardamon - a delightful break from the standard-issue lassis one finds at other places. To date I've enjoyed chicken dishes there, but I have every confidence in their lamb and seafood offerings as well.

Throw in an atypical cellar location, and Darbar makes for a nice Indian dinner out. It's not a budget restaurant, but the food you are paying for is original, hearty, and good.

Oct 15, 2011

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Member since 2011

Last updated on 1st Jun 2012

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Displaying: 1 - 6 of 6 reviews

Williamstown Mussels Fish & Chippery, Williamstown

Seafood Stores

Overall 3.8 1

3.8 Below Average

Quality 5 Ambience 5 Service 1 Value 4

Apr 09, 2012

Thanh Long Vietnamese Restaurant, Surry Hills

Restaurants, Vietnamese, BYO

Overall 7.6 39

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 8 Service 8 Value 8

Oct 21, 2011

Chennai, Newtown

Restaurants, Malaysian, BYO, Licensed

Overall 5.6 12

7.3 Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 8 Service 5 Value 8

Oct 15, 2011

Kammadhenu, Newtown

Restaurants, Indian, Malaysian, Sri Lankan, Serves Takeaway

Overall 6.8 89

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 8 Service 10 Value 10

Oct 15, 2011

Darbar Fine Indian Cuisine, Glebe

Restaurants, Indian, Fine Dining, Romantic and Intimate, BYO

Overall 6.9 245

9 Highly Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 10 Service 9 Value 8

Oct 15, 2011

Different Drummer, Glebe

Bars, Spanish, Tapas, Serves Dinner, Serves Late Dining

Overall 7 55

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

1 Not Recommended

Ambience 1 Service 1 Value 1

Attempting to patronize Different Drummer may be compared to seeking entry into Burma. Upon entering the joint, I was stopped by a hostile bouncer who demanded, in short order, to know what I was doing there (seeking to purchase an alcoholic beverage) and where I had been (a well-reviewed Vietnamese restaurant further down Glebe Point Road).

I half wondered if he was going to demand my passport or try to pat me down. After living out his policeman fantasies, he pointed out, altogether belatedly, that Different Drummer has a dress code. Fair play: I was in my casual Glebe-wear of jeans and tennis shoes.

It's their right to insist that guests glam up, just as it is their right to sodomize their patrons' ears with atrocious dance pop. Perhaps they should mention this highly salient regulation on their website. In any event I was happy to grab a beer down the road and foreswear returning.

Glebeians seeking a friendly place for a drink are advised to walk elsewhere. Aussie-Stasi doormen and pretentious dress codes do not a "different drummer" make.

Oct 15, 2011